Guardian Alarm was established over 80 years ago in Detriot and has since moved its headquarters to Southfield, Michigan in the 80s.
One of the largest independently-owned security companies in the home security industry, Guardian Alarm has plenty of experience in home security and corporate security solutions.
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Pros
- Guardian Alarm Packages
- Home Automation
- Response Time
- GPS Tracking
Guardian Alarm Packages
Guardian Alarm Company's basic home security $24.95 monthly monitoring fee competes with rates from top home security companies.
This is an internet special only. Other home security system packages are a bit pricier.
The company offers a wide variety of home security and home automation features that are better than most.
In addition to door and window sensors, touchscreen panels, glass break sensors, and motion detectors, Guardian Alarm Company also provides top-of-the-line indoor and outdoor security cameras.
Depending on the security package, customers can receive high-resolution video surveillance cameras with bulletproof casings, 360-degree rotation, night vision, and digital video recording.
Guardian Alarm Company will store up to 800 video monitoring clips of up to two minutes each, one month of continuous recording, and six-month video storage.
For the homeowners, smart home Guardian security systems are easy-to-use systems that include a 7" touchscreen, digital frame control panel that allows you to mechanize all aspects of your home.
Some systems enable energy-savings in addition to providing superior protection.
Home Automation
For further peace of mind, customers will also receive a number of home automation options with Guardian Alarm Company.
Through Guardian Alarm Company's desktop or mobile app, users can control heating and cooling, ceiling fans and shades, lights, locks, and garage doors remotely.
Users can also receive real-time email and text alerts, aside from the mobile app, when an alarm is triggered.
Response Time
Guardian Alarm Company monitoring services boast an incredibly fast average response time of 15 seconds.
That includes alarm responses to both life-threatening medical emergencies, as well as property intrusions from the monitoring center.
A chief complaint about the home security industry is slow response times, so if Guardian Alarm is accurate in this claim, the company has a major advantage over competitors.
Additionally, Guardian Alarm provides superior customer service where customers do not have to go through an automated phone system.
Guardian claims that a live person will always pick up the phone.
GPS Tracking
Additionally, Guardian Alarm Company allows you to track assets such as vehicles or other large equipment using GPS tracking devices. These devices provide real-time location data of your lost or stolen property and are a feature offered by very few home security companies.
Cons
- Higher-Than-Average Pricing
- Questionable Sales Practices
- Automatic Renewal Clause
Higher-Than-Average Pricing
Even the base Guardian Alarm home security system package and monitoring services are more expensive than most.
While most home security companies will provide home automation standard for a small additional fee, Guardian Alarm Company will charge up to $59.95 a month for home automation - over twice the amount other companies will charge you for the same features.
And while the company claims free installation and 24/7 support with any basic service plan and base equipment, customers will be required to pay for installation with more comprehensive service plans (including those with home automation capabilities).
It appears equipment such as window sensors, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detector, locks or video monitoring security cameras may be purchased separately or in separate packages.
Questionable Sales Practices
If you are signing up for a deal with Guardian, make sure to have the advertisement in hand when the consultant arrives at your home.
Some customers have reviewed the company online and while the service is impeccable, the sales team will try to up-sell you and keep you from valuable savings that are offered by the corporate team.
Automatic Renewal Clause
Also when signing a contract make sure to be aware that there is an automatic renewal clause; if you are not interested in a second year, make sure to contact customer service and notify them.
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Our Recommendation
Guardian Alarm Company offers a number of useful home security features (including some impressive high-end security cameras) as well as home automation devices to help you protect and monitor your home remotely.
Unfortunately, to get access to some of these luxury features, considered standard by industry leaders, customers will likely have to pay a price much higher than the advertised $24.95 a month.
Customers also need to be aware that Guardian Alarm Company included an automatic renewal clause on its contracts effective at the first contract's expiration, so customers not wishing to continue services will have a short window of time in which to notify the company.
